


Just for him

by bunnysworld



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Canon Era, M/M, Magic Revealed, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-05
Updated: 2018-04-05
Packaged: 2019-04-18 17:58:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14218623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bunnysworld/pseuds/bunnysworld
Summary: Arthur follows Merlin to the armoury





	Just for him

Arthur frowned. Maybe it hadn’t been a good idea to leave it to Merlin to take his beloved sword to the armoury for polishing and sharpening. He had seen him tossing the swords of the knights around carelessly and more than one was carrying a dent or a mark because of Merlin’s clumsiness. 

Following his manservant down the corridor, Arthur almost gasped when Merlin flung the sword over his shoulder. This was no way to handle a sword! If something happened to Excalibur, Merlin would have to answer a few very unpleasant questions. 

He managed to sneak into the armoury without Merlin noticing and hid in a dark corner. 

“Here we are.” Merlin spread out a cloth on the desk and laid the sword down very carefully. “Let’s see what you need today.”

Blinking, Arthur watched. He had never heard Merlin talking to a sword before, but with him, you never knew. Maybe he had been knocked over the head a few times too often? 

“This is nasty.” Merlin’s long fingers almost caressed a spot on the blade where Arthur had caught a corner of a rock when he swung the sword at a bandit the other day. “What did he do to you?” Merlin took certain oils from the shelf, dabbed a few drops of a green liquid on the sword and murmured a few words.

Arthur wasn’t surprised to see Merlin’s eyes flash golden. His servant wasn’t as subtle as he thought and Arthur had seen him do magic many times. That his sword started to glow, too, that was something Arthur had never witnessed and it was fascinating. He had always wondered how Merlin managed to keep Excalibur shiny and new. Now he knew. 

Merlin took his time to mend all the little dents and scratches and then wrapped his long fingers around the handle to lift the sword up and weigh it in his hand. The ancient inscription was still glowing softly and Merlin nodded. “You’re doing a great job, protecting Arthur all the time. Thank you. Let’s take you back.”

The glow disappeared and Merlin left the armory with the sword.

So this was why his sword was so easy to handle and why hardly anything could harm him while he was wielding it. Merlin had woven some ancient magic into it and renewed it every time he was sent to polish it. 

A wave of affection surged through him and he knew that his father had been wrong. Magic wasn’t evil. It all depended on who the magic user was. And Merlin just did it for him.


End file.
